The federal government shutdown is set to reach one month on Saturday, and the impacts are being felt by many Americans, including seniors who are struggling to access food, health care and a variety of support services. An article published last week by national senior advocacy group AARP highlighted some of the difficulties being faced […]
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The Social Security Administration (SSA) on Friday announced that its cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will rise 2.8% in 2026. Among the 53 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits in retirement, that will translate to an additional $56 per month. The average monthly payment to retirees will rise to $2,056, the SSA reported. The 2.8% increase
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Lawmakers in Congress are edging the federal government closer to a shutdown, with a Tuesday midnight looming as the date to pass a temporary funding bill. Without a deal, the impacts will be felt nationwide — including among seniors. During a shutdown, non-essential government functions pause, while essential operations such as defense, law enforcement, air
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With the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget predicting that Social Security’s retirement trust funds will run out by 2032, policymakers are being forced to act fast. When asked during Fox Business News‘s “Mornings with Maria” segment on Thursday whether the retirement age would change, Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank Bisignano said “everything’s being
Retirement age could change as Social Security examines all options Read More »
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) has introduced the You Earned It, You Keep It Act, which would eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits while extending the payroll tax to incomes above $250,000. “Like a lot of Americans, I’ve been paying into Social Security since my first job at 14. But despite decades of paying into
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A new report suggests that counting the value of employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) toward taxable wages could generate about $400 more in annual payroll taxes per worker, shrinking Social Security’s long-term funding gap by roughly 25% in 75 years. The report published Tuesday by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College concludes that the
Taxing health care benefits could reduce the Social Security gap by 25% Read More »
The Social Security system celebrated its 90th birthday this week. In the wake of this milestone, several policy analysts and news outlets offered their thoughts on the program’s past, present and future. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) noted that the safety net program that currently serves some 69 million Americans per month
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The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits could rise to 2.7% in 2026, up from this year’s 2.5%, according to estimates from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The COLA is based on the average Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) for July, August and September, compared with the same
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After a public backlash against the Social Security Administration (SSA) earlier this year, the federal agency said it would walk back some of its plans that would’ve required more beneficiaries to make in-person office visits. But a report released this week by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a nonpartisan research group, counteracts
Social Security beneficiaries could soon face more hurdles Read More »
Nearly two-thirds of retirees are dissatisfied with Social Security benefits, according to a new survey conducted by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The average monthly Social Security check reached north of $2,000 this year, according to the survey, with just 10% of the 1,920 respondents saying they were satisfied with that amount. Roughly 63% reported
Nearly two-thirds of seniors are unhappy with Social Security checks Read More »